The area where the Fillmore, Pacific Heights and Japantown come together is one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in one of the world’s great cities — a small town in the big city, and with a colorful history, too. This section features stories from the New FIllmore archives about favorite places and people in the neighborhood.

Juicy News will close its Fillmore store on March 15 and hopes to open on Union Street by April 1.

Its new home was once the home of the legendary Minerva's Owl bookstore. "This shop had massive history," says Salimi. "So good vibes and heritage all around."

FLORIO CHEF TAKING
OVER PIZZA INFERNO

Exciting news from Fillmore and Sutter: A new restaurant from ex-Florio chef Nicholas Pallone called Academy Bar & Kitchen will soon replace Pizza Inferno, which has been on that key corner for two decades.

Pizza Inferno owner Peter Fogel says his restaurant will get a new oven and a new look before it reemerges — perhaps by April 1 — as the Academy, with Pallone at the helm.

Lower Fillmore is getting a useful new business: a paint store. G&R Paint Co. — the highly regarded purveyor of Benjamin Moore and other paint at 1238 Sutter — is moving in April to 1491 Webster, in the Safeway parking lot.

The store is part of the locally owned Creative Paint company, which has four paint stores and two hardware stores, including Brownie’s on Polk Street.

TWO NEW TASTES
COMING ON CALIFORNIA

Construction has begun on the new Smitten ice cream shop coming to 2404 California, formerly the home of Copy.net.

A few blocks west at California and Divisadero, construction is under way on a corner shop to be called
B. on the Go. It’s a new venture from Belinda Leong, the master pastry chef behind B. Patisserie across the street.

The former market at 2794 California will provide extra space for the patisserie, plus a new venture still to be announced. Stay tuned.

PROGRESS COMES TO
THE JAZZ DISTRICT

T here’s a whole lot of shakin’ going on with the dining scene on Fillmore Street just south of the Geary bridge.

• The biggest news is the opening at 1525 Fillmore of The Progress, the new and more formal restaurant from State Bird Provisions chef-owners Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski.

• Across the street, Zoomaak has opened in the small space at 1552 Fillmore. It's a cross-cultural Korean wine and tapas bar, owner Jade Kim says.

• A block south, the husband-and-wife team of David Lawrence and Monetta White, owners of 1300 on Fillmore, plan a second spot at 1325 Fillmore, across from the mother ship. It will be a barbecue joint called Black Bark, expected to open in the spring.

• After being plagued by flooding problems, Gussie’s Chicken & Waffles at 1521 Eddy Street, near Fillmore, has called it quits.

FASHION ON FILLMORE:
COMINGS & GOINGS

The new high-tech Rebecca Minkoff store is now open at 2124 Fillmore, formerly home of the Pure Beauty store.

Peruvian Connection has closed its boutique at 2326 Fillmore, noting on its website that it had "outgrown this charming space."

HeidiSays has reimagined its original location at 2426 Fillmore and consolidated its two stores on the block. HeidiSays Shoes will remain at 2105 Fillmore.

Popping up: Online men's fashion retailer Ministry of Supply has opened temporarily in the space at 1903 Fillmore that was previously part of Zinc Details. Popping down: Amour Vert has closed its holiday pop-up at 2136 Fillmore and consolidated operations at its store on Hayes Street.

HOTEL TOMO SOLD
— BOP CITY AVAILABLE

Hotel Tomo in Japantown has been taken over by the Kimpton group, joining the nearby Hotel Kabuki under new ownership. . . . And a “for rent” sign has gone up at 1712 Fillmore on one of the neighborhood’s most legendary buildings, formerly home of Marcus Books and Bop City.

NEW NIGHTCLUB OPEN
IN THE JAZZ DISTRICT

A showy new nightclub featuring DJs, dancing and bottle service is now open at 1538 Fillmore, the former home of Rasellas jazz club. Origin Boutique Nightclub, owned by the founders of the Grand Nightclub south of Market, is open on Friday and Saturday nights from 9:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.